Water-heater.



G. T. HIOKMOTT.

WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION IILED'MAE.25, 1912.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

' 9607627?! lie/19m 0 2 2 GEORGE T. HICKIVIOTT, 0F PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912 Application filed March 25, 1912. Serial No.685,999.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. HronMo'rr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pontiac, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water- Heaters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a device for heating water andespecially hard water.

It is well known that hard water is made softer by heating it, wherebylime is thrown down and forms a coating upon the interior of the boiler.In such devices it is very important that some automatic means beprovided for keeping the bottom wall of the same clean or free from thiscoating of lime.

It is therefore an important object of my invention to provide in aboiler for continuously heating hard water, novel means to prevent thecoating of the bottom wall of the boiler with the lime.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for returning thecleaning or freely rolling element to its proper position in the shellof the boiler should it be displaced therein by the agitation of thewater.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the abovementioned character, which is simple in construction, cheap tomanufacture, and continuous and expeditions in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through the device, takenabove the inclined partition plate, and, Fig. 2 is a central verticallongitudinal sectional view through the same.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates the shellor casing of the heater or boiler, which may preferably be approximatelyelliptical in horizontal cross-section, as shown. This shell 1 isdivided into upper and lower compartments 2 and 3, by a partition plate4, preferably formed integral with one end wall of the shell. The freeend of this partition plate terminates at a point near and spaced fromthe opposite end wall of the shell 1, for providing a contracted opening5, establishing communi-v tively, which are normally closed by removableplugs 10 and 11, as shown.

The numeral 12 designates a freely rolling element or ball, whichnormally travels about on the bottom wall of the shell 1, for breakingup the deposits of lime thereon.

The operation of the device is as follows :The shell 1 is exteriorlyheated by any suitable means. The pipes 6 and 7 may have connection witha holding tank filled with the water which is to be heated, or the pipe6 may be connected with such tank and the pipe 7 may be directlyconnected with a spigot. As the water in the shell 1 is heated acontinuous circulation is set up, such water in the compartment 3passing through the restricted opening 5 into the compartment 2 andhence through the pipe 7 This water when being heated is under violentagitation which causes the ball 12 to travel or roll upon the bottom ofthe shell 1, breaking up the deposits of lime which pass with the waterthrough the pipe 7 When the agitation of the water is .Very severe theball 12 may be carriedupwardly sufliciently to be thrown upon thepartition plate 4. For this reason I have inclined this partition plateso that the ball will roll off the same and be returned to its requisiteposition upon the bottom wall of the shell 1.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatcertain changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A heating device of the character described, oomprising a normallyclosed stationary shell having at one end thereof spaced upper and loweroutlet and inlet openings, said shell being adapted to be externallyheated, an approximately horizontal partition plate disposed between theoutlet and inlet openings and connected with the end of the shell belowthe outlet opening, said partition plate being inclined longitudinallytoward its free end which is disposed near and spaced from the oppositeend of said shell, said partition plate dividing the shell into upperand lower compartments having communication through the restrictedpassage at said free end of said partition plate, and a ball freelyrolling within the shell to normally travel in engagement with thebottom wall of the shell and to roll off of the inclined partition plateif it should be thrown thereon by the agitation of the boiling water.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. T. HIGKMOTT. Witnesses:

FRANK L. Do'rY, HAZEL OLMSTED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

